Coming Back
by Sakura Keiko
Summary: "You really miss her, don't you?" "Don't we all?"
1. Prologue

**A/n: **This was requested by **pumpkindoughnut****. **I don't know if I'll be able to update it very often, but I'll definitely try my best. This is just a prologue and wouldn't probably reveal anything.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

I had the strangest encounter today.

I met this girl—she had black hair and amethyst eyes—in a Science contest. I was there to accompany Yuu, because it was his first time in an official contest; the only ones he had joined were from back in the Academy.

Anyway, this girl looked _a lot_ like my childhood friend, but I strongly doubt it was her. Still, I couldn't help observing her. She really resembles her…

"Ruka?" I turned around and saw Yuu, fixing his things. "What're you looking at?"

"Nothing. I was just amazed at the inventions." I replied.

"You miss her, don't you?" Yuu asked, his face serious.

I managed a smile. "Don't we all?"

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><p><strong>An: **That was such a failure DX Oh well. Reviews, anyone?


	2. A Journey Through Unexpected Road

**A/n: First chapter, everyone!**

**This chapter was so fun to write—but I don't know if it's fun to read too. I let my classmate read it, and she told me it was good, but I know she would say that even if it was bad, so I am quite unsure of this. **

**While I was writing this, my mind suddenly came back to the time when I deleted some of my old stories that I didn't like. And then I wondered, **_**'Would my future self like this story?'**_** It gets me curious sometimes, but I'm sure you would rather read the story than know about my rants, so without further ado, we shall start the story.**

**Chapter One: A Journey Through Unexpected Road**

The guinea pig looked _miserable._

Its brown ears were lowered and its eyes showed an emotion Ruka Nogi never thought a guinea pig—or any other animal—could possess.

_Hopelessness._

The guinea pig seemed to be giving up on life and was actually _pleading_ Ruka to end it. According to Ruka's pheromones, that is.

"It's okay, little fella," Ruka said, inspecting the rodent. "You're going to be fine in no time."

The guinea pig breathed out and didn't move. Ruka felt sorry for the little thing. Its fur was terribly ungroomed and a strange, unfamiliar smell radiated around it. Ruka suddenly felt angry at the man who brought the animal in—it was in such a bad condition. How could the treat a cute, little creature that way?

'_Why did they buy a guinea pig when they obviously don't know how to take care of it?'_ Ruka thought. _'And if they didn't care as much as to take care of it, why did they even care about its health, bringing it here and all.'_

The guinea pig wriggled under Ruka's hand, staring at him with black, beady eyes and for a moment, Ruka thought it actually read his thoughts and was telling him not to blame its master.

"Okay, um, Mr. Subaru…" Ruka stopped and did a double take on the guy's last name. "Imai—I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you related to—"

"Yes, I _mind_, Mr. Nogi." Subaru's eyes narrowed, threatening the younger man through his eyes. "You are _poking_ your head into other people's business. I have come here to have an animal treated, not to chat about my relations."

"Er, yes." Ruka scolded himself for having such a thought. He just embarrassed himself—once again—in front of his customer. No tips for Ruka Nogi today.

"Um, Mr. Imai," Ruka started again, careful to be more formal this time. "Guinea pigs cannot be exposed to too much heat, or else, th-they'll die. The have a particularly unusual body temperature. I suggest putting this one in an environment with a temperature around seventy degrees Fahrenheit."

Subaru Imai merely nodded and, holding the little furball in his hands, paid Ruka and left without saying another word. Ruka couldn't leave the thought he had earlier; how absurd it may be, his mind couldn't let go of it.

"He couldn't be…but," Ruka muttered. "_Imai_…"

Ruka shook off the ridiculous thought and went back to the room he was in earlier*****.

"Imai won't be coming back, Ruka." He said, trying to convince himself. "She never will."

And he tried to drown himself with his work in order to forget about her.******

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><p>It was another stressful day for Subaru Imai. He had woken up late—his new digital alarm clock proved itself useless—his car ran out of gasoline, his favorite tie was missing and his sister's pet was <em>dying<em>. And he was supposed to be taking care of it until she arrived.

'_Crap,'_ he thought_. 'She's going to kill me if she sees this thing.'_

So ignoring his assistant's messages, he headed toward the nearest animal clinic where a veterinarian named "Ruka Nogi" operated. It was a small clinic, but it was exceptionally neat. A small trash can resided at the far right of the clinic and two doors were side by side on the left.

A few minutes later, a skinny lady with a small Chihuahua wrapped in her arms came out of the first door, looking extremely satisfied. The small dog barked and its owner fawned about how cute it was. Subaru rolled his eyes.

"You did a _fantastic_ job, Mr. Nogi!" She exclaimed, swinging the little puppy back and forth. "My little Sa-chan's feeling a lot better already!"

And the little dog, as though understanding what she had just said, barked again. Subaru shifted in his seat as a man—who looked the slightest bit familiar—came out of the room, smiling rather awkwardly. He seemed rather fidgety, as if he has never received a single compliment in his life.

"Th-Thanks, Mrs. Sato." He said. "It was quite easy. The little guy just had a slight fever and—"

"Oh, _yes_," Mrs. Sato cut him off, not wanting to hear any more. "I think I have an appointment in an hour and I _must_ be going."

The man merely nodded as she left. Subaru stood up, the small guinea pig buried inside his jacket pockets, and walked over to the blonde-haired man.

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><p>Sakura Mikan was woken up by a noisy ringing soundthat apparently came from her telephone. She rubbed her eyes, but stopped once she felt the pain. Her eyes were irritated and bloodshot—she had cried and she had forgotten it. She groaned as the telephone rang again.<p>

"Hello?" She answered her throat hurting. "Sakura Mikan speaking."

The familiar voice that greeted her back made her eyes widen and forget all about her terrible mood.

"Mikan?"

**A/n: I was actually laughing all the while I was writing the first part. It was so weird, but I decided not to delete it. I wrote this chapter during our Math class in school (I know, I **_**know**_**, but I couldn't help it!) and it didn't turn out to be like I imagined. XD**

**I'm more of a 'spur-of-the-moment' person, so I don't usually plan what will happen next—the just sort of come to me at random times and once I've started writing, I cannot stop. Of course, I know how the story will turn out, but the journey to get to the end is still quite a mystery to me. So, yeah, I shall spare you from more stories about how this story became like this and carry on writing the next chapters. **

**It was supposed to be longer, but I decided that I would give a cliffy—even though it doesn't look like a luring one—and put the rest in the next chapter. And so, chapter two will be longer. (I have finished it, but I have to proofread it a couple of times first)**

**Hope you enjoyed it~ Please leave a review and let your opinions be heard. :)))**

**Notes:**

*'.. the room he was in earlier'—I actually have _no idea_ what the room where veterinarians do their work is called.

**' And he tried to drown himself with his work in order to forget about her.'—Veterinarians deal with paperwork too, and because Ruka was never a rich veterinarian, he didn't have a manager who would do all those work for him.


	3. The BreakUp

**A/n: The first part was supposed to be in Chapter One, but I decided it would be better this way. Also, there's some MikaMe here and it will—um, what's the word?—be more **_**constant**_** starting from now. **

**Enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you think!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: The BreakUp<strong>

McDonald's in Japan was much smaller than McDonald's in France. It was more crowded and messy too, but Hotaru Imai had never felt more comfortable and at home. She sat on one of the brown, comfortable seats in front of the McCafe counters and sipped on her coffee.

An auburn-haired girl sat in front of her, licking her ice cream. She made a small squealing sound as a drop of hot fudge ice cream dropped on her tartan skirt. In response, the girl in front of her muttered something along the lines of "stupid" and "idiot" under her breath.

"You have eye bags, Mikan." Hotaru started. "_Why?_"

"A-Ah—That is, um…" Mikan said, fidgeting in her seat. "The neighbor's dogs—they—"

"_Really_, Mikan? _Dogs_?" Hotaru asked, not the least bit amused. "You slept in the Academy amidst a _war_. And you are telling me that you didn't sleep because of mere _dogs_?"

Mikan smiled, but sadness was evident in her eyes. Hotaru had always seen through her—even when they were still kids.

"He…He broke up with me…" Mikan said, looking down. Tears were starting to form in her eyes.

"Who? _Hyuuga?"_ Hotaru said his name as if it was taboo.

Mikan nodded slowly, tears starting to wet her skirt. She bit her lip and started talking again.

"Hotaru…I-I'm so glad you came back, because…without you…"

"Stop being so melodramatic and fix yourself. We're going somewhere."

"But we're already somewhere."

"Just _do it_."

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><p>A knock from the door was heard. He shifted in his seat, wishing for the person—whoever it was—to let him be. He was <em>not<em> in a good mood today.

The knocking stopped for a while and the man was relieved, but then it continued several seconds later, much louder. He cursed under his breath, but still didn't stand up. He was trying hard to concentrate on the show he was watching.

After a minute, the knocks became softer then stopped.

In place of the knockings was a loud shout. "HYUUGA, OPEN THIS _DAMN_ DOOR THIS _MOMENT_ OR I WILL DESTROY YOUR HOUSE!"

Natsume grunted and recognizing the voice—and knowing what the owner was capable of—he stood up. His legs ached, because he had been sitting there for the last five hours.

'_She probably has Mikan with her.' _He thought. _'Mikan must've told her. Crap. This is going to be a heck of a day.'_

As soon as he turned the doorknob, the door suddenly blasted open with the familiar _'BAKA'_ sound. There, standing in front of him was Hotaru Imai and beside her stood Mikan Sakura. Mikan's face was tear streaked and her eyes looked tired. She did not dare glance up at him with fear that she might start sobbing again.

"Make up with her," Hotaru ordered, motioning toward her best friend. "_Now."_

Natsume was pissed. His door has been blasted open by the devil's daughter, he was tired, he was a mess and now, he has been ordered to makeup with a girl he doesn't love anymore.

"Damn you, Imai." He said, not daring to look at the girl beside the aforementioned. "I will _not_ make up with her."

Mikan hiccupped and turned around, not wanting to hear any more. She didn't want to hear anything that might damage her heart _more_. Her heart was already in a coma and she didn't want to worsen its condition.

"No, Mikan." Hotaru said, pulling her back. "No one will leave until you two have made up."

"I guess we'll stay here for eternity then." Natsume said, not at all amused by this.

Mikan couldn't take it anymore. She pulled her arm from Hotaru's grip and ran away—she didn't know where she was running to, but she didn't care anymore. In fact, she didn't care about _anything_ anymore.

"Mikan!" Hotaru called out; but it was too late. She was already on the next block. Hotaru faced Natsume and slapped him hard on the face.

"I'll say it for Mikan." She said. "_How could you?"_

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><p>"I-Is Ruka Nogi there?" Mikan asked his assistant, trying to look as natural as possible.<p>

"Do you have an animal with you?" the assistance asked, eyeing her.

"Um, n-no." Mikan answered. "I-I'm a friend of his and would just like to talk to him."

"May I have your name then?" the assistant asked, still looking suspiciously at her.

"M-Mikan. Mikan Sakura." Mikan said, trying to hold the tears in longer.

"Please wait for a few minutes."

"Okay." Mikan said, sitting down on one of the seats.

Her heart was throbbing against her chest and it seemed like it had no intention of calming down. She could not believe she had walked so far. It was at least a thirty minute walk—she made it in ten.

"Calm down, Mikan," She said to herself, clutching her chest. Her tears were going to come out any moment now.

"_Mikan-chan?_" Mikan looked up and her eyes became clouded with tears. She tackled Ruka in a bear hug and bawled her eyes out. She could not control herself. Her body had acted on her own and she was feeling too weak to counter its decision.

Ruka felt the heat rush up his face; he could feel her chest pressed against his. It was _not_ a comfortable feeling.

Mikan pulled away, tears still streaming from her face. Ruka offered to talk to her inside the room since it was air-conditioned there and was more comfortable. Mikan thanked him and apologized and the moment she arrived into the room, she began telling him everything.

Ruka listened of course and he was surprised when he found out that Hotaru was back.

"Ho—I mean, Imai's_ here?_" asked a flabbergasted Ruka. "In _Japan?_"

"Didn't I tell you?" Mikan—who was feeling better—cocked her head to the right.

And, as if on cue, Mikan's cellphone rang—with '_Because of You' by Kelly Clarkson_ as ringtone—and she began feeling for it in her bag.

_**Hotaru Imai**_

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><p><strong>An: Don't you just **_**love**_** phones? XD They help us communicate **_**and**_** make good cliffhangers. XDD This chapter did **_**not**_** turn out as I expected. It was supposed to be longer—much, much longer. But I always like making decisions right before posting it. And I'm seriously thinking of rewriting the next few chapters I've written on paper (during Math XD)**

**I have nothing more to say, except review! Tell me what you think about this story. And reviews make me feel more motivated. :))))**


	4. Seeing Her Again

**A/n: I'm sorry it took such a long time, but I had almost no free time. Now, I do, so I'll try writing at every possible chance.**

**Chapter Three: Seeing her again**

"It's Hotaru!" Mikan said, answering her cellphone while Ruka stared. "Hello, Hotaru, I'm in—"

"I slapped him."

Mikan's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Ugh, Mikan, are you that slow?" Hotaru answered. "Where did you say you were again?"

Subaru was tired. He had been lugging baggage from this part of the house to another for hours; and he isn't happy. The owner of these bags was too kind to let him do the hard work, while she scurried off to play with her friends.

He grunted. "She hasn't changed at all, the lazy butt."

There was a soft squeaking sound and he glared at the source of it. The little animal looked innocently at him, with his little eyes. Suddenly, images of what happened this morning appeared in his mind and he grew angrier. Hotaru scolding him for not taking care of the little furball didn't help the situation either.

"Why don't you just die so there'd be no more problems?" Subaru asked, his eyes boring into those of his victim.

"Ugh," Subaru realized he had been talking to a guinea pig. "What is wrong with me?"

The small animal cocked its head to the right, blinking its small eyes, as if he was asking what was wrong. It looked so innocent, but Subaru couldn't be fooled. Inside this little body lays the soul of a sadistic demon. Subaru shook his head, thinking that only idiots talk to animals—and he was no idiot.

Ruka Nogi sat, staring at the woman in front of him. Her appearance has changed in the most unexpected ways. Her once boycut hair barely reached her shoulders, yet he was mesmerized by it. He amethyst eyes always bore no emotion, yet he found himself looking at them, not able to direct his attention to anything else. She had grown taller.

It was a weird sensation, the thing he was feeling—weird, but not foreign to his body. His heart was beating furiously, but that was no surprise; he was always like that when he was within five meters of her. His face was feeling hot; that was no surprise too. He was paralyzed on his chair, unable to utter a word. Of course, that had happened before.

But even though he had experienced this feeling a million times before, every time he saw her, he couldn't get rid of it. He never got used to it either. He didn't know why. It was the same feeling every time, yet it felt so new and invigorating to him each time it occurred.

"Nogi." Hotaru Imai greeted, not daring to look into his eyes. If she did, she might lose her composure and we wouldn't like that, would we? She closed the door behind her and moved toward Mikan, who was beaming.

Ruka Nogi had changed. His blonde locks had been cut, yet it still looked fit for a prince. His beautiful, aquamarine eyes were now of a deeper shade, but the color amazed Hotaru still. He was staring at her, frozen. And Hotaru Imai never thought he could be more handsome.

She directed her attention to something more important.

"You're not crying." She said, looking at Mikan, completely aware of the blue eyes following her.

Mikan giggled. "Yeah. Ruka comforted me."

"That's good." Hotaru said, finally directing her gaze to the blond guy, looking like he finally just realized what was happening.

"I-Imai…You're here…" Ruka managed to say, lowering his eyes to the white tiled floor.

"Obviously." Hotaru answered, knowing that Ruka couldn't believe her being back.

"How—When…Um…" Ruka said, at a loss for words. 'This is bad, Ruka. Say something witty!' "U-Um…Hi."

Ruka's conscience screamed at him. 'THAT'S YOUR WITTY STATEMENT, RUKA? How can you steal the Ice Queen's heart with wit the size of an ant?'

"Wh-What I mean is—Did you know that guinea pigs don't exist in the wild? They have been domesticated for so long that their nearest relative—"

"I know that." Hotaru said, getting annoyed. "I have one as a pet, remember?"

Ruka's eyes widened. "I didn't know that." Then he remembered the Imai that brought a guinea pig early in the morning. "Could you by chance have a-a—relative—named Subaru?"

"Yes." Hotaru said. She remembered scolding her brother for not taking care of her guinea pig properly. "He's my brother."

"B-Brother!" Ruka exclaimed, amazed by the revelation. He had met her brother and had made a terrible first impression on him. 'Good going, Ruka.'

"Hotaru," It was Mikan who spoke. "You said—on the phone—that you—"

"I slapped Hyuuga," Hotaru said, earning the attention of Ruka, who had not heard Hotaru's side of the phone call. "He obviously regretted saying all those things, but being the coward he is, he won't admit that he wants you back."

Mikan felt the tears threatening to fall. Again. Ruka was flabbergasted, earning a new view of his best friend. He wanted to defend Natsume somehow, but he was currently at a loss of words partly due to Hotaru's sudden arrival and because he had embarrassed himself in front of Hotaru's brother this morning.

"He—He doesn't, Hotaru!" Mikan said. "Oh, you don't understand. A few weeks before, when we were still together, it was already obvious that he didn't love me anymore. He stopped talking to me, except when extremely necessary and we didn't even go on dates anymore!"

"Mikan," Hotaru said, preparing her mind for a long lecture. "Just because Hyuuga doesn't show affection toward you, doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. Perhaps he had just experienced something that he can't take his mind off or perhaps he is just too busy. There are a million other reasons for his strange behavior. He is a working man now, and problems cannot be avoided when you work. Has he told you anything out of the ordinary right before he started neglecting to your needs?"

"No, but—I don't know. I told you, we rarely talked. It's as if I wasn't there."

"Why were you there?"

"I—I wanted to see him." Mikan admitted. "Even if—Even if he doesn't love me anymore, he will always be the one I truly love."

"Natsume does love you, Mikan-chan." The two girls stared at their blond buddy. Feeling the tension in the room, he blurted out, "H-He just doesn't like to show his love—maybe that's why you don't feel it. You know Natsume. He likes his secrets."

"Damn that Imai," a raven-haired man cursed, punching his poor pillow again and again. "She comes to my house, demands me to fucking answer her fucking questions and she expects me to cooperate with her!"

He stopped punching his pillow and if it were alive, it would have breathed a sigh of relief. As he lay on his stomach, the events replayed in his mind over and over again. He was frustrated, tired and angry. He couldn't think right; his thoughts were going haywire inside his head.

He got off his bed, changed his clothes and prepared himself both physically and mentally.

"I'm going to finish this problem once and for all."

**A/n: FINALLY DONE! I am extremely happy with this chapter. Maybe because I allowed the climax to peek a little. :) Anyway, I'm already working on the next chapter and I think I'd be able to publish it this week, since it's Christmas break and I have lots of time. **

**Do you think I'm not putting enough HotaruXRuka scenes? Next chapter, when Natsume finally gets rid of his problem, there will be more Hotaru and Ruka scenes. YAAAY**

**Was it okay? Tell me by leaving a review! Constructive criticisms are always welcome. :)**


	5. Catching Up

**Chapter Four: Catching Up**

"Hotaru, why don't you talk to him? I know you want to," Mikan said, nudging Hotaru in the shoulder, to which the latter replied to with a grunt.

Mikan pouted.

Hotaru sighed. "Mikan, there's a bigger problem than needs to be solved right now."

"Oh, never mind that," Mikan said, as if she had recovered fully, but Hotaru knew that it would take a whole lot more for her to forgive and forget.

"There are a lot more things more important than my love life, idiot."

Mikan giggled.

The two were currently in Hotaru's room, having left the clinic thirty minutes ago, using the reason that Hotaru was tired and needed rest. But resting was the least of Hotaru's problems right now.

'_How do I get Mikan to apologize?' _She knew that Mikan did nothing wrong, but knowing Natsume's thinking, Mikan apologizing will just be the right recipe to make Natsume apologize too.

'_And two lovebirds apologizing make a reunited couple_.'

Or so Hotaru thought.

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><p>"Natsume?" Ruka answered his phone, bewildered. Of all people, his best friend was the least that would call him in this kind of crisis.<p>

"You're _where?"_ Ruka asked, his eyes widening. "You're going to _what?_"

Natsume was urging—or in more properly, _commanding_ him to meet up at a certain place. It was no surprise that he wanted to meet there of all places, but at _this_ time, it almost seemed impossible for Natsume to be there.

But Ruka, being the good and supportive best friend he is, put down his phone and headed for the bus stop, where the next bus would take him to his destination.

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><p>"You know," Subaru said, smirking at the guinea pig in its cage. "You're not so bad when you're locked up in your own prison."<p>

Hotaru had come back with a small cage a few minutes ago and put her little pet in it. Then she assigned her brother to look after it, while she and one of her friends went to her room to catch up.

"My sister, the paranoid." Subaru then directed his attention to the book he was reading, while another eye kept watch at the small rodent.

He had always been a master of multitasking. Being the president of a company _did_ have its downsides and Subaru usually found himself juggling three to five tasks at a time. And it didn't help that most of those tasks had deadlines in a few days.

So, sitting here, a good book in his hands, watching the animal that had given him lots of trouble earlier was no sweat. All he had to do was feed him every few hours and check every few minutes if the furball is still alive, breathing and not out of its cage.

So far, the animal has been much behaved and Subaru had actually thanked him a few times—mentally.

"Onii-san."

Subaru looked at his right, where the stairs was and he saw his sister and her friend there, apparently prepared to leave.

"We're going out." Hotaru Imai said, matter-of-factly. "I need you to take care of Buster."

"I thought his name was Buzz?" Subaru asked, amused that an Imai had made a mistake.

"Whatever. Just watch over him." Hotaru replied, not amused at all.

"Haven't I been doing that for the last few hours?" Subaru answered, leaning into the comfortable chair he had positioned himself on just to stop it all. They looked like they were in quite a hurry.

"Fine. Take good care of Bean."

Subaru swore she was doing it on purpose now.

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><p>Tokyo, Japan was beautiful at night. Different colors lighted up the different buildings and there were people all around him, tourists and natives alike admiring the view. Of course, there was also the Rainbow Bridge which undeniable lived up to its name by lighting up its pillars with colors of red, white and green every night.<p>

But Natsume Hyuuga was the least bit impressed. It took a whole lot to get him to be captivated. His mind wandered off to Mikan and how she looked when he broke up with her. Her beautiful face presented a frown and tears were flowing down from her little brown eyes. She had left him quickly with that look on her face.

'_A smiling face would suit her better.'_ Natsume thought, and then realized what just came across his mind.

He scolded himself for thinking such things. He was supposed to forget her. She was supposed to be nothing to him.

'_But I can't. She's still everything to me.'_

"Natsume!"

He saw Ruka running toward him, apparently tired. His face was a mixture of different emotions as he jogged up to Natsume.

"Ruka," he greeted.

"Did you really mean what you said earlier?" Ruka asked, quickly getting into business.

"I wouldn't say what I don't mean, Ruka." Natsume replied indifferently. "You of all people should know that."

* * *

><p>'<em>I just hope this works<em>.' Hotaru thought, recalling her earlier conversation with Natsume Hyuuga.

"_I need you to bring Mikan to that place," He had said, his face void of any emotion, but Hotaru knew that he had finally lowered his pride a little bit._

'If only he had lowered it a little bit more,' _she had thought. _

"_I will." She had replied. "And if _you're_ not there, I'm _really_ going to kill you."_

"Hotaru?"

Hotaru snapped backed to the present. Both of them were at her private car, being driven by Hotaru's driver and Mikan was sitting beside her, not knowing what awaits her at the place where she and Natsume had their first date.

"Where are we going?" She asked, tying her hair into a ponytail.

"You don't need to know," Hotaru answered, her mind focusing on how to execute the plan.

She peered at the windows and saw the Rainbow Bridge not too far. She recalled how Mikan had been so happy after her date with Natsume here. She even believed that he was the one and Hotaru had allowed her to hug her that night, only because she was so happy.

'_That Hyuuga.'_ She thought. _'If he doesn't get Mikan to stop being like this, I'm going to make him wish he never meddled with her heart.'_

"Miss Imai, we're here."

* * *

><p><em>Bam!<em>

Subaru Imai had just dropped his bowl of popcorn, upon seeing the place where his little sister's pet _should_ have been. He stared at it, scanning every corner, making sure it wasn't hiding somewhere there. Then he suddenly felt sick, his stomach churning and his mind thinking of what she could do to him later if he doesn't find it.

Because Hotaru Imai's pet guinea pig is missing.

Subaru wouldn't want to be there when she found out it was missing. But then again, if she found out, he would be dead already, so he won't be physically _there_.

"Crap," was the only word he had mustered, because the next second, he was on his elbows and knees, calling the guinea pig's many names.

* * *

><p>"Hotaru—that's—" Mikan said, before turning around in vain hope that the limo was still there.<p>

Unfortunately, fate was not on her side today. The car was gone, probably by Hotaru's order, in case she wanted to escape. She spotted it a good distance from them and in a few seconds, no one would guess it was ever here save for the tracks.

She groaned. She had recognized the guy not too far from her and she really didn't want to see him right now. She felt her left eye twitch in anticipation of the tears that were coming.

Hotaru patted her shoulder. "Let him talk first. If it's really horrible, I'll take care of him."

Mikan tried to smile, but she couldn't, because tears began falling down her face, as she recalled Natsume holding her while she looked over the river below.

"I'm so weak, Hotaru," Mikan said. "Maybe that's why he broke up with me—_wh_y is he here? Is he going to break my heart _again?_ Hotaru, my heart can't take it anymore."

"He's not going to, Mikan."

"Then what—"

"If you just _shut up_ and follow me, you'll figure it out." Hotaru cut her off, aware of the two pairs of eyes on them—one, a deep shade of crimson and the other, a light aquamarine blue.

Hotaru led the way and Mikan followed, though a little hesitant. Her hands clutched at the hem of her shirt.

Ruka's eyes were directed on Mikan and she swore she saw a little bit of pity in them. Natsume, in the meanwhile, was looking far away, as if in a trance.

"Hyuuga, Nogi." Hotaru greeted, her voice void of emotion.

Natsume nodded and Ruka smiled.

"Mikan," Natsume said, earning her attention.

'_The walls have been broken.'_ He thought. _'There's no turning back now.'_

* * *

><p>"Ow!" Subaru said, groaning as he hit the chair—which seemed invisible until just now—above him.<p>

His futile attempts to find the little animal had awarded him with five bumps, four on his head and one on his hand.

Subaru had not been spoiled when he was young, but he had never _ever_ earned five bumps in fifteen minutes.

"This little furball—once I find it, I am going to torture him so much that—" He was cut off by a small squeaking sound to his right.

He turned his head and found him. He let a little grin break out on his face.

Subaru Imai was face-to-face with his prey.

* * *

><p>Mikan sat in front of Natsume inside a small café. Ruka and Hotaru wanted to stay outside for reasons Mikan can understand, but not appreciate.<p>

She allowed herself a little peek at him and felt anger. She bit her lip, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. Even deep breaths couldn't calm her down.

"Mikan." Natsume called for the second time that night, missing the affectionate nickname he used to call her. "I'm sorry if I caused you pain. I didn't mean to. But I can't keep doing this."

Her breath hitched at her throat and she muffled a sob. How he could make her cry with six words was unknown to her. He always had a way with words. He could make her happy with a phrase. He could make her sad with a sentence.

Maybe it was because she cared too much.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure they'll be okay in there?" Ruka asked, looking back and forth at the door and at the bridge. "What if something happens? What if one of them loses their temper? What if—"<p>

"Would you _stop_ worrying and have faith in them, Nogi?" Hotaru snapped, obviously getting angry.

She ate a bite out of her chocolate cake, taking a few seconds to critique its taste in her head. He couldn't believe how she could eat at a time like this. Her best friend could have her heart broken when she gets out and she's eating a friggin' cake!

"But—It's unbelievable, Imai! Natsume wanted to—"

"I am quite aware what Hyuuga wants to do. I can't believe his best friend can't believe he can fess up."

Ruka was guilty, but he still couldn't believe it. "The last time Natsume was forced to say something he didn't want to say, he burned down a farm. And that was when he was in the third grade!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Surely, Natsume wouldn't be as childish as he was at that age."

"Yeah, but—" Ruka was cut off by the familiar scent that invaded his nostrils.

Hotaru held up a donut to him, having finished her cake. The sugary glaze almost made him forget what was going on inside.

"Donuts, Nogi? I bought a dozen."

* * *

><p>Mikan stared at Natsume. She was no longer mad at him. She no longer wanted to see him kneel in front of her and beg for her mercy. Instead, she desperately pleaded fate to give her some—even just a little—courage to talk.<p>

She was tongue-tied and he knew it.

Instead of taking advantage of her temporary inability to speak, Natsume was quiet.

"_I want to you to know—that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the things I said that day that may have hurt you. But you and I know that I have no feelings for you anymore. I don't want to hurt you—I really don't, but a one-sided love in a relationship won't work. "_

Mikan felt like crying again, after recalling everything he said. She knew it, but she never wanted to admit that Natsume didn't like her anymore.

'_Hotaru said that he won't be breaking my heart tonight, but why is it being crushed all over again?'_

The silence was like venom, slowly killing the two of them. Both of them felt it, but none of them wanted to break it.

* * *

><p>"What if Natsume says the wrong thing?" Ruka chided, interrupting their little meal.<p>

Hotaru didn't expect that. She expected him to either just kiss her senseless while she's talking or actually apologize. She expected him to bury his face in his hands at a lost for words. She expected him to shout, then speak softly.

But she did not expect him to say the wrong thing. She didn't even know he was capable of that.

If Natsume says the wrong thing, then they were in big trouble. Big, _big_ trouble. Knowing the place of pride in Natsume's mind, he _could_ have done that. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it.

"Imai?" Ruka called.

She didn't budge. She was in an unbreakable trance and Ruka soon found out after waving his hand in front of her face for a few seconds.

"Yup, she's gone." He said, taking a bite in a rainbow-sprinkled donut with chocolate filling. "But if Natsume says the wrong thing, then Mikan-chan should've run out crying by now."

Hotaru's head shot up. Ruka was surprised, so he dropped his donut.

"Oh, _no_. That was—"

"We're going in," Hotaru stated, closing the box of donuts in her lap.

"—_my favorite." _He was about to say, but completely forgot about the donut on the floor.

"Excuse me, _what_?"

But it was too late. Hotaru had already opened the door and was walking inside.

* * *

><p>'<em>Who knew that a five pound creature could bring so much chaos?' <em> Subaru thought.

The guinea pig had scratched the curtains and broke one of the expensive glasses they kept in their cabinets. The dirt marks on the floor also seemed like its doing. Subaru hoped it hadn't reached Hotaru's room yet.

"_Buster_, Bean—whoever you are—if you don't come out _now_, I'll be dead, so you better—"

The guinea pig appeared and it was dirty all over. It looked even worse than this morning, when it was brought to the clinic. The guinea pig crossed the room and Subaru tried to catch it, to no avail. It went to the kitchen and Subaru suddenly knew what this was all about.

* * *

><p>"Mikan…"<p>

Mikan sat, teary-eyed. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to show everyone how weak she was. She didn't want to show _Natsume_ how weak she was.

They were alone and the next moment, Hotaru and Ruka was sitting beside them.

"Hyuuga." Hotaru said, "What did you tell her?"

The tension in the room increased and Ruka looked back and forth from Hotaru to Natsume. This was not going to end well.

"I told her what I felt." Natsume answered, matter-of-factly.

Hotaru shot a look at him that did not look pleasing. "You weren't supposed to do just that. You were supposed to tell the truth. You were supposed to tell her that you—"

She stopped herself, unable to continue. Ruka lowered his head, feeling like he shouldn't be there.

Mikan blinked. _"There was more?"_

Natsume sighed, before continuing, "Fine. I cheated on you."

Mikan's eyes widened. She looked at Hotaru then back at Natsume, bewildered. She knew it couldn't have been so shallow, but she didn't expect Natsume to _cheat_ on her.

She couldn't talk, so he continued, "It was a one-night stand. Sumire Shouda. I had a bad day at work—"

"There's no excuse for that," Hotaru mumbled, cutting him off.

Natsume scowled. "I was just depressed, okay? I couldn't face you after that."

Hotaru pretended to cough, but muttered in between, "Like the coward he is."

There was silence and Ruka got up to get a glass of water, but something told them he isn't going to return for a while.

Mikan looked up at Natsume. "So you wanted t-to _break up_ with me instead?"

He didn't answer.

It didn't matter. At the end of the night, she took him back.

* * *

><p>"This is so stressful," Hotaru said, rubbing at her temples.<p>

Ruka was quiet beside her, feeling a bit awkward. Natsume had volunteered to take Mikan home, since he wanted to talk to her which conflicted with Ruka's previous plan to go with him. Hotaru had taken the liberty to take him home and now they were in her limo, driving toward his house.

"I just arrived here and now this is happening." She continued.

Ruka wasn't sure if she was talking to herself or to him, so he didn't answer. He checked his phone, although he already knew that he wouldn't be receiving any message.

Hotaru sighed beside him and he felt like he wanted to apologize. And so he did.

She looked at him and replied, "For what?"

He wasn't sure either. "Uh, I don't know. It's just that—Well, as you said, y-you just arrived and you see your best friend heart broken and—"

"It's not like it's your fault." She cut him off, not liking where this conversation was going.

They were quiet until they reached his house. They bade their goodbyes, but not before Ruka asked her out to lunch the next day. Fortunately, she was free and accepted his offer. She secretly looked forward to it and she knew that he did too, though not as discreetly.

* * *

><p>"Ah, welcome home, Hotaru." Subaru greeted, a smug smile on his face.<p>

She scrutinized his face in her mind. "Where's my guinea pig?"

Subaru's grin widened and he walked toward the living room, motioning for her to follow. There was the little guinea pig, not in its cage but on a clumsily folded blanket, sleeping.

Hotaru stroked its fur and it perked up instantly, looking up at her. She then carried it carefully with the blanket and made her way upstairs.

"Hey," Subaru stopped her. "Don't I get a thank you?"

She continued walking, muttering a small thank you, before proceeding to her room.

Subaru smiled then went to bed.

* * *

><p>The next day, Ruka arrived at Hotaru's doorstep, feeling a bit foolish. He was a little late because he forgot he had a check-up with a ferret at eleven, but he was here now.<p>

He knocked after realizing she had no doorbell. "Hotaru?"

He heard footsteps and in a few seconds, Hotaru Imai stood in front of him, looking great in a simple purple blouse and white pants. They had decided to go to Anna's bakery to catch up. Ruka almost thought she would deny the offer since it wasn't at a five-star restaurant, but surprisingly, she had said yes.

"Good afternoon, Ruka." She greeted, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

Ruka smiled. "Good afternoon, Hotaru."

And then they went to their date. For the first time in a long time, Hotaru had fun. And Ruka was happy.

* * *

><p><strong>An: Oops. This isn't the ending yet. ;) The next update may take longer and I apologize in advance. I'm also sorry for not updating for a while. I hope y'all can forgive me. :)**


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